Underworld Scuba - West Hawk Lake Information

West Hawk Lake

At UNDERWORLD Scuba, the Open Water requirement of our Recreational Diving Courses is done at West Hawk Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park.

As you learned in your Open Water academics, preparation is essential to safe and enjoyable diving, and reduces stress associated with an unfamiliar environment. With the information following, UNDERWORLD hopes to get you oriented to West Hawk so that you know where you're going, where to stay, and most importantly what to expect from a diving standpoint. We've even included an online West Hawk Lake Slide Show so that you get some idea of how things look before you even get there.

Distance & Directions Diving WHL References & Links

Distance and Directions

West Hawk Lake (we'll occasionally abbreviate it as WHL) is located in Manitoba's Whiteshell Provincial Park, east of Winnipeg on Highway No. 1. It is the primary locale in the province for scuba training, both recreational and instructional, as it has a fully developed townsite, campground, restaurants, hotels and all amenities you would want for a relaxing and convenient vacation.

Starting at the Winnipeg Mint (Lagimodiere at Hwy 1), WHL is 142km due East on Highway 1 - allow about 90 minutes to get there. Falcon Lake is 131 km from the Mint and at Falcon, the highway goes from 4-lane to 2-lane. WHL is just 11 km past Falcon, and is marked by a clover-leaf turnoff to the right

There is an entrance fee to use the park, payable at the security gate which you reach just after taking the clover leaf. You can pay for a single day, or get a season pass.

Coming back from WHL, after you leave the town and merge back onto Highway 1, there's a sign that shows 137 km to Winnipeg.

Our West Hawk Lake Highway Map (pdf) provides an overview of driving directions, the townsite, and shows where scuba diving is done. The actual dive area and shore entry point are referred to as "Cat's Ass".

Diving WHL
In this section we have posted some additional guides to assist with getting your bearings at the lake. Please review the following points to get the most out of your training time:

The West Hawk Lake Campground Map (pdf) is an official document provided online by the provincial government. They have also marked the Cat's Ass diving area with the standard Scuba graphic

There are many options for an overnight stay. Besides the campground, other popular spots are
Keystone Resort   (204) 349-2250   email: keystone@granite.mb.ca
Crescent Beach Cottages   (204) 349-2214   email: cbc1@granite.mb.ca
West Hawk Lake Resort   (204) 349-2244   email: surowich@granite.mb.ca

You may have heard this from other divers or at the shop, but let us confirm for sure - WHL is COLD. That's why we practice a full neoprene dive at the pool before the Open Water dives. Expect water temps on the diving platform (at about 30', shown on a subsequent map) to be between 45°F and 60°F, depending on the time of year and type of weather we've had. The "Flats", which is a little north of the platform and where students normally do PADI Open Water Dive 1, is warmer and shallower.

The visibility in West Hawk Lake is not very good, so expect 6-8 feet at best, but probably more like 3-5 feet. To compare, Caribbean water can have visibility of 100 feet or better, and Crosby Mines near Brainerd, MN is around 30 feet.

Do NOT count on reliable cell phone reception, especially down by the lake. You may find that you have to get into your car and drive away from town a bit (towards Highway #1) before you get a usable signal.

Here is our online West Hawk Lake Slide Show. After reviewing it, you may feel that you've already been there!

Here is a WHL Diving Features Overview (pdf) of the area in which your training will take place (Cat's Ass), showing some of the underwater features and their orientation to each other. This is based on some mapping done by two DiveMaster candidates in Summer 2006, and is an early version. Improvements and updates will follow.
The small thumbnail pictures on the feature map correspond to photos in the slide show.

Normally you will be renting gear from the shop, and appropriate PADI forms will have to be completed. For your convenience we have made available online the two-sided Rental Agreement, Liability Release and Assumption of Risk.

References & Links
Here are some additional sources of information on West Hawk Lake and the Whiteshell:

Manitoba Conservation: Whiteshell Provincial Park

Whiteshell Provincial Park Map (pdf)

West Hawk, Caddy, Hunt and Star Lakes (pdf)

Whiteshell Business Directory

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Page last updated on: July 10, 2007

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